


Sea Legs

by dreamingren



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Historical Fantasy, Historical References, M/M, Na Jaemin is Whipped, Romantic Fluff, Royalty AU, jaemin prince, jaemren, jeno is barely in this uhhh im so sorry, legend of the blue sea kdrama inspired, mermaid au, renjun mermaid, renmin, royal au, wOw zoe another renmin au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23713096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamingren/pseuds/dreamingren
Summary: the stories are true. mermaids do exist, and the prince finally finds happiness
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun & Na Jaemin, Huang Ren Jun/Na Jaemin, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Park Jisung & Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 15
Kudos: 86





	1. pretty

**Author's Note:**

> aAAaaaA i've been meaning to make a mermaid au, but my first concept is cringy, so i rewrote it !! enjoy, this is gonna be a bit longer than my usuals. 
> 
> this is somewhat inspired by legend of the blue sea kdrama, but with more of a historical context :>

down by the sea, where the waters are clear as crystals, where the sand is as soft as powder, made way for civilization. the kingdom of joseon was built by the banks of the shore, where sailors ride the seas to fish, hunt, and explore. the society thrived due to the ocean, for it was a resource to abundant seafood and fish. 

but fish weren’t the only thing, legend has it, that swimming in the same waters are the mermaids. people like you and me, but with shimmering tails. they are said to come at night when the moon is full, where they shapeshift into humans to steal their treasures. merpeople love shiny things, especially jewelry, things they can wear and flaunt over. 

no one knows if this information is true however, since no one has ever caught one. the stories also say that they’re beautiful, enchanting creatures, it’s rare to find kind ones though , since most of them are narcissistic. 

oh how the prince wanted to find one, he listened to his mother’s tales well, that each night he would run to the beach. it would also be his escape, because once the boy turned ten his mother died, and his strict father shaped him up. all he ever wanted was the leave the kingdom behind, sail away to an island where he’ll live on his own and maybe befriend a mermaid. 

perhaps a part of his wish came true one day. 

on his nightly stroll, a crowd has gathered in the town square. he wanted to head straight to the beach, but something caught his attention. 

“feast your eyes ladies and gentlemen! the creature who is half human, half fish! we have found a real live mermaid boy!” 

the prince pushes his way to the front, wanting to see if the fisherman’s words are true. he looks down to see what was exactly described, strangled in a net was a struggling merboy, with a bright blue tail as colorful as the sky, blonde hair, and light skin. he was breathing heavily, wrists tied in ropes with cuts on his hand. the top half of his body was exposed too, having small cuts also. 

one lady suggested, “sell him to the next town over, and we’ll be rich!”

a man cut in, “no keep him! we’ll beat him to make him cry pearls! we’ll be loaded!”

another lady adds, “then he can show us all our valuables we have lost! his kind must be the ones to blame for our lost items! 

“enough!” 

a silence arises through the townsfolk, hushing once they realized whose voice it was. it was the crowned prince, na jaemin. 

they made way for him, bowing respectfully at the royal, while his glare only focused at the frightened fishermen. 

“p-prince jaemin!” the one who announced the news in the first place stammered, “taking a stroll today?”

“what are you planning to do with the mermaid.” jaemin snapped. 

“w-well erm...what do you think we should do?”

“i order you to let him go.”

the merboy looks up, was he hearing his words correctly? maybe there are humans in this world who are kind enough to defend the ever so hated mermaids. in a glimpse they locked eyes, and he could tell the prince was passionate, he had no hesitation towards his answer. 

the crowd however, was perplexed by the prince’s claim. 

the fisherman questioned, “you want us to free him? so he’ll swim back to his clan and tell them what we’ve done? they’re terrible creatures your highness!”

“what makes them so terrible hm?” jaemin interjected, “he is just like you and me. why should they be the ones to blame for all your problems, when they don’t walk on land. where is your proof they stole? does he have a pearl necklace around his neck?”

the villagers talk amongst themselves, sure prince jaemin made a point, but they still imagined all the money they could gain. 

“think of how good our economy will be your majesty!” one spoke up. 

“yes! the kingdom will be prosperous!” one claim was followed by the other, all the same and not within what the prince wanted. 

“you are all so greedy, so selfish! all you care about is wealth when we are stable in finances!” prince jaemin yelled. 

“selfish? ha! those creatures are more narcissistic than us.” a woman proclaimed, who was then followed by an agreeing crowd. 

jaemin rolls his eyes and faces the woman, “miss, what has this merboy ever done to you?”

she was baffled, pursing her lips to a close so she could save her head. 

“if none of you want to follow my orders, so be it. i’ll free him myself.”

jaemin walks towards the trapped mermaid, once he crouches the other flinches. the crowd caves in, whispering and wondering what was jaemin’s next move. 

“don’t worry,” jaemin smiles as he cuts the net with his pocket knife, “i’m here to save you.”

the merboys’ eyes are wide, the leader of this village has decided to help him. he felt his mouth open too. 

“is it fine if i carry you like this?” 

jaemin lifts up the shorter with his left hand on his back, and right hand on the back of his tail. the prince made his way down to the rocky path, while the shocked villagers decided that they should make their way home, in case the prince were to reprimand them again. 

luckily, the beach was close by, sparing the awkwardness between them of the events that followed. jaemin laid him onto the shoreline, where the waves moved slowly due to low tide. 

“are you alright?” jaemin asked. 

the mermaid nodded, hands folded on his lap. 

“a-are you sure? did they hurt you, i see some cuts on your skin. those people are terrible, i’m sorry, i also should’ve asked for bandages.”

a finger is placed on jaemin’s lips, the mermaid was shushing him. he then moved his hand to pinch his side. 

“ah!” the younger yelped, “i just saved your life and this is how you thank me? well uh, maybe it is i don’t know. is it?”

the mermaid shakes his head, he then puts his fingers on the edges of his eyes, and slides them down to his cheek. 

“oh,” jaemin realizes, “you want me to cry? will it heal you?” 

the mermaid nods while smiling, jaemin was quite good at charades. 

“well uh, okay. i don’t know if i can, but if it doesn’t work i should get you bandages. i can cry anyway right? please don’t pinch me again.”

jaemin loved seeing the mermaid’s pretty eye smile after he said his joke, the way he silently giggled with his shoulders bouncing up and down. 

“well, the last time i cried was for my mother i guess. she died around nine years ago actually, making me nineteen. she was the only one who made me smile. when i got a bruise after tripping, she kissed my leg and gave me treats to help ease the pain. when i’d succeed in my studies, she would take me to the village to buy me a toy, and on days my father would yell at me she would comfort me when i cried. she was kind to me, and defended me always, until one day she had a lung hemorrhage…” 

as days creeped onto the prince’s tenth birthday, so did the queen’s bad health. when it got worse, she would tell jaemin to leave and stop visiting her so he wouldn’t get the sickness too. but he was stubborn, and stayed outside her door each day in order to make sure she was okay. he didn’t even want a party, only wanting his mother to feel better. but on that day, servants were rushing in with herbs, medicine, and towels. they closed the door on little jaemin, making sure the prince wouldn’t watch. he remembered the wet coughs he would hear, the pained sounds his mother would make. after a few hours it stopped, jaemin burst in thinking she fell asleep, but it was worse. he didn’t want to know after seeing the dismayed faces on the servants and maids. 

“...and i never even got the chance to say goodbye.” 

hot tears streamed down his face, combined with a mix of stuttering breaths. his nose was filling up with snot, and his vision was coming to a blur. he hears a sniffle from the merboy, who was crying as well, but then squinted to see his cuts on his chest unraveling. 

“wait you lied to me?” jaemin wipes his face with his sleeve, “i thought you said human tears will help.” 

jaemin scoffs and starts to get up, “i had to share something personal to you, i did two things for you!

just as he was about to leave, the mermaid speaks, “wait, i’m sorry.”

jaemin whirls around, his voice was prettier than he thought. 

“it’s true, human tears help, and a mermaid’s emotional tears can help too. it’s just that, i don’t usually express your sort of sadness, i thought yours would do the trick.” 

“oh,” jaemin sits back down, “don’t you guys cry pearls though?”

“yes, but that’s for physical pain,” the mermaid explains, “it’s true that you can make a fortune after torturing us.”

“i see.” jaemin looks to the horizon. 

“i’m sorry about your mother as well.” renjun mentioned. 

“don’t be,” jaemin reassures, “she’s in a safe place now.”

pure silence. the other didn’t know what to say next, or how to make light of the situation. jaemin just shared a personal story, while the merboy uncovered basically his weakness. 

“my name is renjun.” the merboy said softly. 

renjun, it was a pretty name that rolled off the tongue. 

“nice to meet you renjun,” jaemin leans back and buries his hands in the sand, “i’m sure you know me.”

“how could i forget his royal highness, my savior prince jaemin?” renjun teases. 

jaemin blushes, “okay, okay. but you owe me.”

“owe you?”

“two things remember, i saved your life and i shared something personal.”

“well i already told you what mermaid tears can do.”

jaemin thinks for a bit, “is it true that you can shapeshift on a full moon?”

renjun backs up from his spot, “h-how did you know…?”

“so the stories are true! tomorrow night, we’ll spend time together on land okay?”

“but,” the shorter bites his lip, “i’ve never had legs before.”

“then it’s the perfect time for you to experience them!” 

“fine, i’m only doing this because you did things for me okay?” 

“i’ll be at the beach once the moon appears around seven. i’ll have clothes for you to wear, then we’ll have the full land experience.” 

  
  
  


♡

  
  
  


renjun is found near the rocks, waiting for jaemin and hiding from nearby sailors just in case. he’s laying on his side, on a rock slab and under the moonlight. 

“renjun? renjun…” 

renjun’s ears perked up to hear that familiar voice. 

“over here!” 

jaemin’s head popped up from one of the rocks, and he couldn’t help but stare at how radiant the merboy looked. how his scales shined like thousands of tiny stars, how it reflected on the mermaid’s brown eyes to create more sparkles. with the waves creeping up to the rocks, it was a perfect picture, he was the center of attention. 

“you got a piece of cloth? i need to dry my tail for the transformation to take place.” renjun asks. 

“hm?” jaemin shook his thoughts away, “yeah i have one here, and some clothes.”

jaemin makes his way around the large rock, crouching next to renjun and laying the items by his side. 

“can you keep watch? i need privacy.” renjun asks. 

jaemin stood quickly, “right, i’m on it.”

it took a few minutes for jaemin to hear footsteps behind him, and there was renjun, looking tiny in the large hanbok he brought him. jaemin didn’t realize their height difference before, he seemed taller with a tail in his mind. 

“do you want me to get something slimmer?” jaemin suggested. 

“would you be so kind?” renjun picked up the robe as if it were a dress. 

jaemin scratched the back of his head, “sorry, i didn’t know what your exact size is.” 

the more renjun walked towards him, the more he struggled. he didn’t even tie the garment properly, and had trouble walking in the shoes. 

“here, let me help,” jaemin walked behind him, “we should go to a nearby shop too to buy you something else. are you fine walking barefoot?” 

“yeah, i think i can handle it.” renjun replied. 

jaemin also asked, “you know how to walk right?”

“uh, duh,” renjun chuckles, “i‘ve seen how you humans walk, one foot over the other.” 

but the shorter was more used to having one singular tail, it was going to take a while for him to get use to, and to have balance. jaemin giggles, it’s like watching a baby walk for the first time. so he latched his arm on renjun’s, allowing him to walk upright and stand straight. 

there was much for a mermaid to see within the village. there were children playing with little wooden toys and pinwheels, food stalls at every corner, and everyone was in colorful robes. jaemin looks over to the older, his eyes glittering at the things he’s seeing. the prince has seen all these sights before, but it was better spending it with him. 

“what is that?” renjun pointed to the sky in awe. 

“ah, those are lanterns,” jaemin explained, “they float due to the little candles inside. must be the full moon festival today.”

“you guys celebrate every month?” 

“only around the summertime, it’s weird i know. we’re here!” 

jaemin opens the door to a little hanbok shop, and the place was already bustling with customers. one of the staff members runs out with piles of clothing, once the bells rang by the door. his hair is slightly tousled, it’s was a dark brown and had moles on his cheek where if you were to connect them, they would make a square. 

“get out! we’re about to close.” he yelled. 

jaemin snickers, “not even for your favorite customer?” 

“jaemin! did you sneak out again? gives you a good reason to get lost.” 

“renjun, this is donghyuck. we’re friends, i swear.”

“and we’ll no longer be friends if you want to buy my next shipment.” 

jaemin places a hand on renjun’s shoulder, “ignore him, see what you like.” 

luckily donghyuck was busy helping out some older ladies with outfits, instead of reprimanding the prince. 

he was then seen pushing said customers out the door, “yes they look lovely on you! you should wear them out alright? pay me tomorrow bye!” 

he flips the sign to read ”closed” and the people outside whined once he locked the door. 

“ugh this festival is killing me.” donghyuck complains. 

“isn’t it good though? you’re getting an increase in sales.” jaemin walks around to view the new fabrics.

donghyuck scoffs, “ha! you try to manage a store all by yourself, while your merchant husband is overseas.” 

“how is minhyung by the way?” 

“trying to sell another one of his crazy inventions. if he doesn’t come back with wheelbarrows of gold, i’m divorcing him!” 

“you’re exaggerating hyuck,” jaemin rolled his eyes, “renjun, how about this?”

he showed him a satin, sky blue hanbok that resembled the bright daytime sky. 

“i like it,” hyuck answered, with pins on his mouth as he stitched a seam, “it matches his blonde hair, he gives me ocean vibes.”

“you can try it on in the fitting room over there.” jaemin gestured towards the doors. 

“where’s he from jaem?” donghyuck asks, still focused on the outfit his mannequin is wearing. 

“uhh…” jaemin thought for a second, “overseas.”

moments later, renjun walks out, his clothes fitting perfectly. 

“you look pretty,” the prince mumbled, “...amazing! pretty amazing.”

renjun blushed, “thank you, it’s a perfect fit.” 

donghyuck took a glimpse, nodding, “that’ll be a few more coins than usual.” 

jaemin raised his brows, eyes wide. 

“what? it’s not everyday we get blue threads.” 

the youngest sighs, handing over a small pouch onto the cashier counter, then saying a thanks as he walks out the door. 

renjun walks over to donghyuck, handing him a small pearl, “thank you.”

donghyuck looks at the small sphere in his palm, gasping. to make sure it wasn’t fake, he bit it. it was in fact, a real authentic pearl. 

“your friend can come anytime he wants!” donghyuck waves. 

“what’d you give him?” jaemin asked. 

renjun smiles at him, “a pearl.”

the prince is shocked once more. 

“don’t worry i go clam hunting.” 

  
  


after strolling around a bit, out of no where the prince grabs the wrist of the two legged mermaid and runs to a special place. the place is not too far from the village, but within a forest. after passing exactly five trees and a large rock there’s a cliff that leads to a lagoon. it’s wasn’t too big of a drop, considering that you’d land in the water. thankfully the prince installed a wooden ladder to go up and down. it was a pretty sight, there were some extra lanterns wadding on the banks, and a big tree on a little island in the middle. 

“see that island over there?” jaemin points, “that’s where my mother is buried.” 

“oh.” renjun’s eyes widen.

there was a little rowboat that could take them to the island instead of swimming, which was good for renjun because if water touches him he will become a mermaid again. jaemin sat at the front, in which he rowed for him. once they made it, jaemin introduced the purple willow tree. 

“mom, this is renjun,” he pats the trunk, “renjun, this is my mom. in her will she wanted her favorite tree planted on her grave. i take care of it once a week.” 

renjun feels nervous, as if he was meeting jaemin’s parents for the first time, “it’s nice to meet you miss.” 

“this lagoon leads to the ocean, do you wanna ride back?” jaemin asks. 

renjun made a small smile, “sure, it’s getting late anyways.” 

in the middle of their journey, a couple of other rowboats were passing by, some letting go of their lanterns. a villager speaks up, once taking a glimpse of renjun. 

“hey, you look familiar…” 

the two look at him, confused. 

a woman gasps and points, “that was the mermaid we saw last night! he’s turned into a human!” 

a swarm of boats gasp after their realization, as renjun tips his hat to avoid eye contact.

“he’s with the prince! he’s trying to seduce him, like a siren who will sing and drown humans!” 

“the prince is under a spell!” 

people started panicking, jaemin whispered amongst the chaos, “we need to head back to the village.” 

jaemin starts paddling as fast as he could to where the ladder was located.

“they’re getting away!” 

“give me a paddle.” renjun suggested, and held out his hand.

the younger nodded and passed it, as the two were now working together to escape. after swiftly climbing the ladder, jaemin picked it up and left it on the cliff so the townspeople won’t follow him. another round of wrist grabbing was ensued, as the two pushed through citizens while jaemin lead. he was taking the shorter to his home. 

jaemin slams the sliding door behind him, sliding his back on it and bumping his behind on the cold wooden floor. 

“is this your room?” renjun asks, looking around. 

jaemin picks himself up and closes the window behind the older, “yeah, we’ll be safe here.” 

“jaemin? jae... are you back?” an echo was heard down the hall, leading to jaemin’s room.

the younger mouthed silently, “hide! go in the closet!” he waves and gestures crazily to the tinier room at the left.

jaemin clears his throat and opened the door, “jisung! my favorite little brother.” 

“i’m your only brother,” jisung attempted to look past him, but jaemin blocked his sight, “what are you hiding…?” the younger was taller, but jaemin tiptoed to match his height in order to block. 

“nothing! what are you hiding?” 

jisung rolled his eyes, “you bite your lip when you lie, and your voice is a pitch higher.”

“what?” jaemin touches his lips as jisung brushes past him, “my voice doesn’t…” 

the youngest looks around, searching for anything suspicious. his eyes point to the closet. jaemin slips past him and blocks the door of the closet.

“you’re being obvious,” jisung crossed his arms, “move outta the way and i won’t tell father.”

“na jisung,” jaemin began his nagging, “i am older than you by two years, you’re not the boss of me. and you even speak informally towards me! unbelievable.” 

“jaemin, will you please let me take a look. i swear on my life i won’t tell father.”

“promise?” 

“promise.”

jisung opened the door, and he let out a yelp at what he just saw. jaemin covered his brother’s mouth with his hand, hissing his name after his reaction. 

“you kidnapped someone?!” jisung whispered after yanking jaemin’s hand off. 

jaemin made a face, “no! i would never stoop that low, i’m just sneaking a friend in.” 

jisung turned his attention to renjun in the closet, “is he for real?”

renjun looks up at jisung, and nods. 

suddenly, footsteps arrived towards jaemin’s room once more. 

“your highnesses, there’s a large crowd outside demanding for one of y—“ 

it was the palace historian, chenle, who’s jobs is to write records of royal life and problems that arise within the kingdom. he’s now staring at the person hiding in the prince’s closet. 

jaemin clicks his tongue, “how many people are just gonna barge in my room?” 

“why would you kidna—?!” jisung covered the historians mouth and pulled him in, closing the door shut. 

“it’s not a kidnapping.” jisung calms him down. 

chenle analyzes the situation, “there’s a large crowd outside… and jaemin is hiding him…you’re both running away with a purpose.” 

the guilty duo gulped, glancing at each other. 

chenle walks over and crouches down to renjun’s sitting height. 

“you’re a mermaid aren’t you.” 

the three are baffled, jisung’s mouth is hanging and jaemin froze. 

renjun spoke first, “h-how did you know?” 

“for starters,” chenle began, “you’re the only person in this entire village to have blonde hair, am i correct? two, you’re hiding your feet and legs under your robe. all that running must have caused you sweat, so your scales are starting to show.” 

renjun kicks off his shoes, him, jisung, and jaemin are all surprised to see a few shimmering scales appear on his ankles. 

“and three,” chenle continued, “i’m a mermaid as well.” 

the historian explains that he’s been a human longer, leaving the mermaid pod at a young age. from there he worked his way to the top, starting with school and learning human mannerisms and language. after several years, he was lucky enough to become the youngest historian for royalty. 

“i’ve always dreamed of living on the surface, earn a living for myself and never look back. with being a mermaid, all you see is water, the same coral and rocks everyday, boring.” chenle shrugged. 

jisung was concerned, “how come you never told me?”

“i had no intention to tell anyone,” chenle told him, “i want to leave it all behind.”

“jaemin!” 

this time, although the voice was somewhat far away, it was heard loud and clear, maybe enough for the next town to hear. the booming voice belonged to the king, jaemin and jisung’s father. 

“he knows.” jaemin whispered, his face a lighter shade, as if he saw a ghost. 

the three pause and whirl around towards the door. chenle suggested that he’ll hide renjun in the historian room, while jaemin and jisung stay and pretend nothing happened. the young historian grabbed his wrist, and ran out sneakily. on que, the king appeared and slid open the door. 

“jaemin, there’s a crowd outside,” his father squints to make a serious face, “they’re asking for you, and claim you’re hiding something.” 

jaemin sighed, “ah, father, people must be spreading rumors these days because i haven’t stepped outside before in a long time.” 

jisung took the lie further, “i’ve been hanging out with jaemin the whole day in his room, we never went outside.” 

the king grumbles, “i’ll talk to my people, no funny business you two.” 

once jaemin heard enough faded footsteps, he tackles jisung into a hug, “ah! my little brother, always protecting me.”

jisung scoffed, “your welcome.”

jaemin slumped on his bed, “seems like we have something in common sung.” 

“what is it?”

“we’ve fallen in love with mermaids.” 

♡


	2. bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> secrets can’t be kept hidden forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it’s angst time :,)

three months fly by, and every night jaemin gets to see his favorite mermaid regularly. on nights he was a mermaid, the would hangout on the beach, when the moon is full, they are found hand in hand on land. but the more time they spend together, the more angry the villagers get. more and more people start to find out a merboy has been with the prince, since word spreads like wildfire. on a particular day when the moon was full, the young prince can’t seem to find his mermaid friend within the rocks. 

thirty minutes passed. another thirty, was jaemin being impatient? something was wrong. in fact, renjun was usually the first one waiting, since he needs to dry his tail. the prince searched for clues around the rocks, behind them he seems footsteps in the sand, each shoes of various sizes and each leading to… the village? 

jaemin’s heart drops. they found out their hiding place. 

he ran, never taking a second to breathe, he didn’t know where his feet was taking him but he knew that he had to run, search every single house in the area no matter how long it took. he saw a familiar face on his trip, in which the person was calling his name. 

he is spotted, “jaemin! jaemin come quick!” 

“what is it donghyuck.” jaemin was sweating like crazy. 

“it’s your friend.”

jaemin clutches his chest, was he having a heart attack? but he had no time, he followed donghyuck. 

he was lead into an empty home, where all the furniture seemed like it was flung around and tumbled. but the worst sight jaemin ever laid his eyes on was hid in a small room. it was renjun, but not his usual, normal self. but with bruises, cuts, and red marks all over his face, neck, and arms. his wrists were tied, and there were tight knots on his torso. there was a basket next to him, about one third of it was filled with tiny pearls. stray tears slid down his face, as jaemin’s hands clenched into a fist. 

“this house wanted some hanboks delivered, so i knocked on their door to find out it was opened. it was in this state once i entered. i went to look for you, but stumbled into jisung first so i told him and he sent guards to search who did this to him.” donghyuck explained frantically. 

jaemin’s eyes are opened to their full extent as he crouches down to feel renjun’s cheek, 

“is he…” 

“only beaten, chenle examined earlier, he presumed nothing else happened. he’s helping to search too.” 

the prince began tearing up, he needed tears to heal him anyway. he yanked out his pocket knife, almost dropping it on the floor, and started cutting the rope. he picked up the merboy in bridal style. 

“where are you going?!”

“far away from here, something i should have done long ago.”

“you can’t just leave! what if you bump into them?!”

“i’ll make them regret having hands.” 

quickly jaemin fled, his tears trailing. he needed to get out of the kingdom, for the lagoon was too obvious to be spotted. he hoped jisung found the culprits and got home safely, maybe stalling his father somehow. 

the two are now in an open meadow, filled with tall, wild flowers. jaemin bends to a kneeling position, then lands his behind on top of his legs and feet. he places renjun on his lap, still holding him as he carried him. the younger sobs, breath hitching as grasping for air. he couldn’t stop, he didn’t know how to stop, he felt so foolish and used his tears for the healing process. 

one by one, bruises and marks faded, but to jaemin is wasn’t enough, he needed to make everything go away, the pain renjun’s felt, the events he had to go through. he didn’t care how red and puffy his eyes were getting, this was his only way to help. 

the older stirred, jaemin raised his eyebrows and popped his teary eyes open. 

“jaemin?”

jaemin lifts the shorter one into a hug, “renjun!” 

the confused merboy is now sitting on the prince’s lap, his highness crying on his shoulder. 

renjun pulled away, “what’s wrong… why are you—ah..”

the smaller winced in pain, clutching his chest and starting to feel all the injuries coming back to him after he fainted. 

“renjun i’m so sorry,” jaemin hiccuped, “i… i didn’t come sooner, i didn’t protect you….they hurt you…i’m so stupid.”

renjun giggled softly, patting the prince’s hair, “it’s okay, i’m just glad you’re here.”

“why… why aren’t you mad? come on jun, blame me! it’s my fault anyway, hit me!”

renjun scrunches his brows, “why would i… jaemin, it’s not your fault.” 

“it is! they’re beginning to know you, know our locations all under my nose and if i was there for you in the first place—“ 

“did you hurt me?”

“no…” 

“exactly, and you wouldn’t have known.” 

“renjun, they hit you, scratched you, punched you.” 

“but you would never do those things to me.” 

why did jaemin’s heart feel warm, his stomach churned inside out. he was so perplexed as to why renjun wasn’t reprimanding him or hurting him as well. 

the older takes jaemin’s hand, patting it with the other, 

“i trust you, jaemin. you would never make those people even touch me, you weren’t there when it happened. i can’t believe you ran all over the place trying to find me.”

“took me forever.”

“but you found me eventually. i’ll be okay, i just need your tears.” 

jaemin crashes his head onto the shorter’s lap, sobbing even more. 

“i’m so sorry, i’m sorry you have to feel this burden, of how everyone treats you, you don’t deserve this. i don’t understand why they hate you.”

“we don’t need them, we have each other.” renjun strokes his hair. 

jaemin lifted himself up in shock. 

“they’re gonna have to understand eventually, that my love for you is true.” renjun beams. 

“what… what are you saying…” 

his vision is blurred, due to the excessive tears, but he felt something. something warm and soft pressed against his lips, oh how he dreamed of this day. arms are then wrapped against his neck, as jaemin leads their lips. the two no longer felt sorrow for each other, but a moment of bliss. jaemin holds the shorter’s waist, continuing until renjun needed a breath of air. 

“you thought of us… as something more too?” jaemin still doesn’t believe what just happened. 

“yes you dork,” renjun makes a playful hit on the younger‘s chest, “looks like i made the first move.” 

jaemin makes a snicker, followed by laughter, and now the two are in histericks, laying on the ground next to each other. 

renjun looks at him for a second, “you’re not crying anymore.” 

jaemin turned his head, “stop… i’m supposed to make you feel better.”

“well,” renjun sits up and glances at his arms and hands, “they’re clearing up.”

the taller sits up as well, carefully taking the smaller’s hand and kissing every nook and cranny. 

renjun couldn’t help but watch as blood rushed to his cheeks. with his other cold hand, he presses it onto his heated face. jaemin’s tiny pecks make renjun’s heart sing, beats pacing faster each second. 

“may i hold you?” jaemin whispered, bashfully. 

renjun chuckles, “you don’t have to ask your highness.” 

the broader pulls him onto his lap once more, holding his sides again, and tenderly giving him a forehead kiss. renjun closed his eyes at the touch, his stomach filling to the brim with butterflies, jaemin was going to be the death of him. 

“i’m sorry.” 

a kiss. 

“don’t be.” 

“i feel bad.”

a peck. 

“you’re here with me and that’s all that matters.”

the two are silent, jaemin laying on renjun’s lap again, while the older strokes the prince’s hair. all they heard was the wind, cricket chirps, and a nearby stream. 

“you’ve cried so much jaemin.” renjun semi-whispered.

sleepily, jaemin croaked, “i’ll only do it for you.”

renjun made a happy sigh, “you sound tired.”

“i heard mermaids have the prettiest voices.” 

“oh did you?”

“can you sing to me?” 

“well, my voice isn’t that great…”

“i doubt it.” 

renjun paused to think of a song. ever so softly,

  
  


_ sun goes down, and we are here together  _

_ fireflies grow like a thousand charms _

_ stay with me, and you can dream forever _

_ right here in my arms _

_ tonight.  _

  
  


the sun’s rays casted onto his eyelids, signaling for him to wake up. even though the sun was warm and inviting, it was also bright and blinding. jaemin felt a blanket over him, and his eyes were still in a puffy shape. he rubbed them and found himself on his bed in his room. he hoped last night wasn’t a dream. 

he skidded out the door, searching for jisung’s room. once he made it he slid the door open and felt out of breath. 

“jisung, what happened last night?”

the youngest was drawing with an ink and brush, painting a landscape of mountains and trees. 

“renjun said once you fell asleep on his lap, he carried you on his back all the way home. when i saw both of you at the front door i tucked you in. it’s a good thing father was asleep and didn’t check on us.” 

“he...carried me back?”

“yeah, he says you were pretty light, but to me you’re pretty heavy, no offense.”

jaemin rolled his eyes, “where is he now?” 

“he went to the lagoon afterwards, said there was a cave there. he had to turn back before sunrise or he’ll stay a human forever.” 

“let’s hope he’ll be safe there.”

jisung looks up at him, “you can ask permission to go out you know.”

“yeah but not if you have a helicopter parent.” jaemin crosses his arms. 

“jaemin!” a booming voice is heard. 

“speak of the devil.”

“come with me,” his father demanded, “these people are restless, i don’t know why they’re obsessed with you.”

jaemin gulped. 

“show us the mermaid!” the villagers would yell, “he’s hiding in there somewhere!” 

“for the thousandth time, my son has no mermaid or whatever fairytale creature you speak of!” 

“you’re wrong!” a woman holds up a basket full of pearls, pouring them onto the ground, “how would we be able to collect these?!”

the townspeople began swarming for the pearls, each getting a hold of whatever they could grab. 

“your son has been sneaking out with the mermaid! we caught it once, but he let him escape!”

“that’s not—jaemin.... jaemin?!”

he was gone, as if vanished in thin air. what his father didn’t know was that he was able to tiptoe his way out without a single witness except jisung. 

five minutes ago 

“jisung, once i leave i want you to tell minhyung and jeno to prepare a ship in mother’s lagoon. i’m going to leave for a while okay?”

“where will you be going?”

“far away, where i’ll be free.”

jisung pouted.

“i’ll write to you okay?” 

“take care of him, take care of yourself too.” 

“you’re the best brother ever.” 

five minutes later. 

the plan was, get renjun, sail away with him, live in harmony. it’s three steps so it should be easy right? 

“you want to what?” renjun gasped.

jaemin scratched his head, “runaway with you… basically…” 

renjun hung his mouth open, in which jaemin reached for his chin to close it.

“you’ll catch flies honey.”

“are you sure about this jaemin? positive, running away from your friends and family just to be with me.”

jaemin twidled his fingers, “yes… but also to escape bein royalty. i want to explore, be free remember? don’t you too?”

“it just feels so sudden to me…” 

outside the cave, the sound of wood and stones meet to create an echo. minhyung and jeno have arrived. 

“jaemin! we’re here!” minhyung called out.

jeno followed, “jaemin? you said you needed a lift—omigod…” 

there they saw a merboy laying flat on his belly, his tail near the shore of the cave, while jaemin is sitting down in front of him. 

“um... you got room for an extra fin? we’ll explain everything later.” jaemin grinned. 

the four nearly made it out of the lagoon, while jaemin and renjun were telling their story. it was a little sailboat, and renjun was hanging his tail near the edge. gladly, there was wind, so the large sail helped them float a little faster. 

“so... you’re a real mermaid?” jeno asked renjun, sitting next to him and hanging his legs as well.

minhyung sighed, “does he have to tell you a million times jeno?”

“sorry, it’s just so cool, i thought mermaids were a myth.” 

minhyung changed the topic, “so where are you two going exactly?” 

“take us somewhere far away, maybe like an undiscovered island.” 

“i don’t think this boat is fast enough…” jeno trailed his words, his eyes towards the cliffs

“what? why…” 

they look up towards the sky, and at that moment they heard yelling and shouts from above. every guard, every villager, was witnessing as the beloved prince jaemin is now sailing away with a sea witch. he’s committed treason, the protection of a mermaid over his people. 

“traitor!” 

“get the prince and the mermaid!” 

arrows fly, spears piercing the wind as they head for the boat. it was a horrific scene, as people start running down from the rocks. minhyung began trying to find the oars. renjun hated having to stay and watch, but had an idea. he lifted himself off the boat.

“renjun? renjun!” jaemin saw his tail swimming towards the back, the boat shifted in speed.

_ wow renjun truly is strong, he carried me on my back and now this? i should be careful when teasing him. _

“is… is renjun pushing?” jeno’s eyes are wide. 

jaemin runs to the back, shouting, “be careful junnie!” 

“hyung!” 

the prince looks up once more, jisung, donghyuck, and chenle are found. 

“we’ll stall them!” chenle called out.

donghyuck crossed his arms, “you owe me! silver and gold coins, tell minhyung he’s dead when he comes back!” 

minhyung heard this and gulped. 

the three on land were working to stop the people and guards, lashing out swords as a threat. since the whole town was stubborn, they had to be as well. if they took another step to hurt the prince, it will be the same amount of slashes on the legs. 

“don’t you see that you are all traitors?!” chenle bellowed, “all conspiring against your prince!”

“it’s all the mermaid’s fault, he’s the cause of this chaos!”

“maybe if you didn’t believe in rumors we wouldn’t be fighting in the first place!” donghyuck points his weapon. 

“leave my sons alone!” 

they turn around to find the king, intimidating as always and having his own entourage with guards. 

“the historian is right, stand down now,” he said in a deep voice, “i want to see what this mermaid is really like.” 

“father! the people down at the docks are still fighting!” 

“then we need to make them stop son.” 

everything was moving so fast, the four on the sailboat turned around to see angry townspeople already on rowboats starting their chase. 

“they’re getting closer!” jeno began panicking. 

“it’s no use, renjun! come up i need to tell you something.” 

renjun heard jaemin’s voice and came up to the surface. they helped pull him up. 

“renjun, there’s no time, you have to trust me on this.”

“what is it jaemin?”

jaemin took a breath, “turn me into a mermaid.”

everyone gasped. 

the youngest is determined, “it’s possible, right?”

“jaemin, there are only two ways becoming a mermaid, being born one, and drowning.” renjun looked at him sternly. 

“are you serious about this jaemin?” minhyung grabbed the prince’s shoulder. 

jaemin turned back to renjun, “let me live in the ocean with you, we’ll escape everything.”

minhyung barged in, “have you thought of what renjun wants? he’s become human for you, and now you want him to turn you to a mermaid?”

jaemin looked at renjun, who’s head turned to the floor. he squeezes his hand. 

“i’m sorry, what do you want renjun?”

renjun perked his head up. 

“i want to be with you too.”

three months ago, a mermaid got caught in a fisherman's net. why you ask? he was curious. something in the surface was up there, and every time he neared the shore his heart beat a little faster. all the stories of humans were dangerous though, all they do is hunt and kill in order to survive. but why did his heart feel warm? 

renjun thought it was some fairytale when he was young, the stories of soulmates. for mermaids, the heart beats faster when you’re closer to the person who’s said to be your soulmate. at thirteen, he left the pod, exploring the seas. not for a soulmate of course, just to find a place to stay. 

but ever since he came to joseon waters, he felt different. then, everything fell into place. the prince is the one he’s supposed to love, and he was kind too, caring, not afraid to speak his mind, silly. 

it was all so sudden, he would’ve hated it if his soulmate was the opposite of those things, but what matters is that he loves him for who he is. jaemin protected him, and even if he failed to after that, he was still there for him. 

“are you sure?” jaemin held his shoulders. 

the older held his wrists, “yes. i owe you don’t i?”

“junnie,” jaemin pouts and holds his hand, swinging their arms, “don’t do this for me.”

“i’m doing this for us.” renjun reached to touch his cheek. 

“okay,” jaemin squeezes his hands, tighter, “let’s do it.”

renjun warned, “jaemin, just know that you can’t undo this, but you can come to land when the moon is full.” 

“i know.” he smiled. 

renjun sighed, “i can’t believe his majesty wants to give up everything for me.”

“i just know...that you’re the one.”

renjun touched his chest.  _ me too.  _

“we’ll miss you jae.” jeno sniffed. 

minhyung comforted jeno, “hey, he’s not going away forever dummy. we should all meet at the next full moon.”

“i’d love that.” jaemin smiled. 

after the three shared a group hug, he holds renjun’s hand once more. 

“we don’t have much time, your lungs need to be filled with water.”

a splash is heard, but the villagers are still on their search. 

_ can you hear me? _

_ renjun? we can hear each other thoughts?! _

_ good, the first step is completed. a connection. now we wait, i’ll keep you from floating.  _

“jaemin! renjun! run! i mean, swim!” they hear a yell from minhyung. 

matters get worse, as arrows and harpoons are now piercing the water. they hear minhyung and jeno frantically screaming for the townspeople to hold their fire. 

their aim seems to get better and better, renjun taking the two of them as deep and far as they could. 

_ jaemin, you need to close your eyes for the next step.  _

_ but they’re attacking! will you be okay? _

_ i’ll be fine, we need to finish the process. trust me.  _

when underwater, if you’re deep enough, nothing can be heard. the other senses work, except the ears. being underwater is similar to being in space, it’s an interesting thing really. the mermaid hugged the prince tight, he needed to protect him, his lungs were almost full. 

no matter how much it hurt, the pain on renjun’s back, he can’t scream or think, or else jaemin will know. instead he hugs him, as time slips away. he was hit, but jaemin’s eyes are still closed. but renjun wanted one last thing. 

_ the last step is a kiss.  _

_ good. okay then, kiss me.  _

_ i love you jaemin, very much.  _

_ i love you too.  _

the pain is unbearable, not only the harpoon, but the fact that jaemin won’t ever see him in his final moments. but he knew, jaemin had to live on, it was his dream to explore anyways. 

_ renjun, are you okay? you’ve been clenching me for a while.  _

_ sorry, i’m just, shy.  _

_ aww, what happened to your confidence?  _

_ you can’t open your eyes during this okay? or it won’t work.  _

_ okay, i can’t wait to open them, i want to see you so bad.  _

was it possible for a mermaid to cry underwater? 

_ what are you waiting for jun?  _

_ injunnie? _

_ renjun?  _

he no longer felt hands on his sleeves, or arms hugging him. in fact, when he kicked and swam a bit, he didn’t feel renjun’s body.

he opened his eyes. 

  
  
  


♡

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lemme know what you think~  
> ending this soon <3  
> twt: @ dreamingren  
> cc: curiouscat.me/dreamingren
> 
> also the song renjun sings is from barbie the island princess ksnks they had good songs ok


	3. make a wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what will happen next? is this truly the end of their tale? find out in the final chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know my trope is happy endings tho 😳

in a cold sweat, he hears a familiar alarm ringtone beside him. jaemin lifts himself up in a flash, out of breath, as if he’s been drowned. a vanity is placed across from his bed, now a comforter.

_i have pink hair? yeah duh, i always have._

he rubs his eyes, he must have been asleep for a while this time, he’s gotten so used to the life in his dreams. it’s as if he’s lived as that person, and has the same name as him. in fact, he’s been having the same sequence of dreams in a span of months. he grabs his phone to stop the irritating sound.

now he’s eating cereal, alone in the shared apartment, his left hand scrolling through his phone. his roommates must have left early. the only thing on his mind though, is, what happens next? what does the prince see? did the mermaid die?

a notification and buzz appears on his phone.

 **pwark jisung** : do you wanna hangout, are you still asleep?

_oh yeah, jisung was in my dream._

yeah, i just woke up

 **pwark jisung** : seriously? it’s already afternoon.

jaemin chokes on a spoonful, checking the time on his phone, clock in his kitchen, and clock in the living room. it’s three o’ clock.

you should’ve woken me up :(

 **pwark jisung** : you looked so peaceful tho

 **pwark jisung** : anyways, everyone is at the aquarium

everyone?

 **pwark jisung** : uh yeah, ya know. chenle, donghyuck, minhyung, and jeno

ah i see

 **pwark jisung** : chenle said it’s their grand opening, and he wants us to meet someone??

alright i’ll be there in a few.

it’s a bit chilly outside, so jaemin is wearing an overcoat over a turtleneck. he had no idea why his friends wanted to meet at the aquarium, but it is the weekend after all. it’s only a five minute walk from there too, since his four friends and brother live together, and wanted to live near the beach.

he immediately sees them, each dressed up warm and jisung on the phone.

“jaemin? yeah he’s coming, actually he’s already here. okay, see you inside.”

donghyuck sticks out his hand for a handshake, “yo~ jaemin! did you sleep well?”

“mmn,” jaemin scratches his head, “must’ve overslept, i was studying for midterms all night.”

minhyung pats his back, “don’t study too hard nana, you’ve been cramming for days!”

jeno agrees, “yeah, all you eat is ramen.”

“alright, alright, where’s chenle?”

jisung answers, “he’s inside, i just called him. told us to meet in the walk-in aquarium exhibit.”

“ahhh! i’m so excited, there’s apparently gonna be a show at that time.” donghyuck claps, locking arms with minhyung, as they all head inside.

the river fish were up first, they each took glimpses of the tanks, and the shades of green freshwater creatures. jaemin suddenly feels something in his heart, as they’re about to enter the ocean fish exhibit.

he clears his throat and feels his chest.

why is my heart beating so fast?

there was a small gathering in the walk-in tunnel tanks, including little kids with cotton candy and popcorn.

“i can’t wait to see the mermaids mom!”

mermaids?

there’s an announcer in the speakers, “everyone relax and enjoy! the mermaid show is about to start!”

jaemin whirls around to see the spectacle before him. one by one there are six mermaids, three girls and three boys. he recognizes chenle, seeing his little wave towards his friend group. they’re all playfully cheering and gasping, as he blows bubble kisses. he was the fifth mermaid to swim in.

“aw, chenle is so cute! i want to pinch his cheeks.” donghyuck bounces.

jisung smiles, waving at him, “he is cute.”

“wooaahh our jisungie has a little crush!” jeno softly punches him in the back.

jisung changes the topic, “ah, that’s chenle’s friend.”

jaemin couldn’t believe his eyes, in fact he rubbed his eyes a few times. his heart is beating faster, stomach warm, hands clammy.

it was the mermaid from his dreams. he knows that face very well.

his eyes are popping out of his lids, as he feels himself walk up towards the tank.

renjun sees this, the pink haired boy coming closer, he feels his heart.

_it’s him, he looks handsome in pink._

there he stands, as the mermaid is floating above him. same blonde hair, shimmering blue tail, with colorful fish surrounding him. he places his hand on the glass. renjun places his too, at the same spot.

_can you hear me? are you the one in my dreams?_

_i thought i was the only one having strange dreams. is that you? jaemin?_

_yeah, hi renjun._

_hello~ enjoying the show? he flashes an eye smile._

_you’re prettier in real life._

“hey, jaemin, you courting the little mermaid?” donghyuck teases.

minhyung snickers, “he is pretty cute, no?”

“what you want me to have fins now?” donghyuck let’s go of his arm. the group share a laugh.

“what’s his name?” jeno asks.

jisung replies, “renjun, chenle wants him to be a part of our friend group.”

“well, jaemin seems to like him.” donghyuck crosses his arms.

_i can’t wait to see you outside._

_wanna follow me? i would take your wrist, but ya know, glass._

_i’ll walk, you’ll swim._

“are they telepathic now?” donghyuck lifts a brow, as jaemin walks around tank after tank with the mermaid.

the twenty minute show finishes, as the little kids were quite sad it ended, but excited for the next one next time.

“the mermaids were so pretty!” one says.

“especially the black haired one and blonde one, they’re like princes!”

speaking of the two, “jisung!”

“hey, chenle!” they give each other a high five.

“wah, chenle you and your friend did so good in there.” donghyuck pats his head.

chenle giggles, “thanks, oh yeah! everyone this is renjun. we met in uni, we’re both marine biology majors. he just transferred from jilin.”

“it’s nice to meet you.” renjun gleams.

chenle introduces everyone, “this is jisung, minhyung, donghyuck, jeno, and jaemin.”

“it seems you know jaemin already after he pulled that stunt, leaving fingerprints on the glass.” donghyuck mentions.

jaemin walks up to him, feeling his heart thump and sticking out his hand, “jaemin.”

renjun chuckles a bit, taking his hand, “renjun.”

jeno gasps, “this is your first meet?”

“never seen him until now,” jaemin shrugged, “i felt a connection between us earlier, ya know?”

donghyuck makes a disgusted face, “no, we don’t know. ugh whatever, let’s just go eat ice cream minhyung’s treat.”

“m-my treat? i thought we were splitting…”

jaemin walks next to the older, clasping his hand onto his, swinging their arms side by side.

after a quick bite, the six convinced renjun to stay over for dinner. (possibly because they’ve noticed jaemin and him get along so well) even after the meal of leftovers, jaemin grabs his arm as renjun walks out the door, asking if he could stay for the night.

he wants to know more about the dream, what happens next. the friends question it at first, but jaemin explains it’s a part of renjun’s group initiation.

at first, renjun feels a bit awkward being in the same bed as jaemin, of course they’ve known each other in their dreams for apparently three months, he didn’t know if it was long enough.

renjun sits on the edge of the bed, “i think it’s...our past life.”

“past life?”

of course, going to the library and looking for records of mermaids is preposterous. so he had to find the specific prince who ruled by the sea in joseon. after hours of search, he stumbled upon the closest description he could find to the prince in his dreams.

his name was minjae though, but he was prince during the 1500s that drowned at sea.

but the books read nothing about mermaids, or a relationship of them.

“so… our dreams, are really true?” jaemin gleams, “what happens next?”

“i’m not so sure, i think it’s bad…”

a coldness surrounded him, his body temperature also dropping. he felt week, faint, he wanted to move but his body wouldn’t. he opened his eyes, and started to use every inch of energy he had left.

you couldn’t see it but he cried, why didn’t renjun tell him? tell him about how his lifeless body is sinking to the depths, a harpoon sticking from his back through his stomach. he stuck out his hand, the more closer he got, the more his body couldn’t take it.

was this truly the end? jaemin had to fully drown and die in order to become a mermaid? but once he transforms, he can’t be with him. it wasn’t worth it, and jaemin hated every single second of it. but it wasn’t over yet, he can’t just give up what they just started.

maybe once he turns into a merboy he can use gallons of his tears to heal him?

_are… you… turned yet?_

_renjun… renjun can you hear me?!_

_go live your dream, jae._

_i can’t just leave you here, you’ll die._

_but your wish._

_it’s not complete without you._

the younger knew they were close to reaching their last breath, so they were going to have to do it together.

he reached for renjun’s back, hugged the shorter’s torso, then in one thrust the harpoon stabbed his stomach as well.

his eyes droop to a close.

black. an emptiness, he was in a room, he could feel it. there’s a single light at the end. he also notices that he’s not in water, he’s breathing properly. was this the afterlife? once he’s under said light, four mirrors surround him. he looks at each of them, two from his front and back show himself, but a prince. the ones on his sides, is his current self.

so he must be seeing minjae.

“jaemin, history is repeating.”

he lifts a brow, pointing at himself.

“who else am i talking to?”

jaemin shrugs, “you have a point.”

“this is important,” minjae says, sternly, “if you want a happy ending don’t let the end of our tale repeat.”

“did you two… really die?”

minjae clenches a fist, “i promised myself, no matter how many lives i live i will always try to find him, protect him. that one day there will be one life where the cycle stops and we can live in peace.”

jaemin is speechless.

“i understand that you barely know him,” minjae continues,” but the universe has given us a chance, to prove we are worthy of our time on this earth to find happiness in the one we love.”

jaemin glances at the floor, worrying.

“he needs you. it’s up to you to change the story.”

the pink haired gasps awake, holding his chest and taking constant breaths to slow his heart rate. what he saw was so surreal, this whole ordeal does deal with past lives. he decides to wake up renjun.

after shaking him a few times, the older doesn’t budge. he starts nudging, but after that doesn’t work he panics.

why wasn’t renjun breathing?

jaemin rushes to grab his wrist, placing two fingers at the pulse. there’s still a heart beat, but why isn’t his chest rising and falling?

in a desperate wave of panic he calls the others, “guys...guys!”

he doesn’t care if it’s two am, he didn’t exactly know how to do cpr.

chenle yawns, trudging out of his bedroom shared with jisung, “what’s wrong jaemin?”

“renjun’s not breathing.”

chenle is suddenly fully awake, brushing past him and into his room.

jaemin sees him feeling renjun’s forehead and neck.

“he needs water,” chenle’s eyebrows are stitched together, worriedly.

“why does he need—”

“im going to fill the bathtub, go get him a towel with water. use it to pat his head and neck.”

the two are running around like madmen, jaemin almost forgetting where the towels are in the kitchen. chenle didn’t want to wake up the others, so he plugged the drain and filled it with buckets as fast as he could.

he instructs jaemin to bring him into the tub once he was done. jaemin hoists the older up and gently places him in. jaemin hoped renjun didn’t mind wet clothes. his hands were on his tummy, and he looks peaceful.

“...come on… work…” chenle grips the tub.

“wait lele, what’s going on…”

scales appear on his feet, the familiar blue tint jaemin once witnessed. more grew, and morphed into a real mermaid tail. jaemin couldn’t blink for even a second, but pinches himself to make sure this wasn’t another dream.

his mermaid is here, in the flesh, but with a loose pajama top on.

the older stirs, beginning to rise from his slouch.

“chenle…jaemin?”

once he realizes it’s really jaemin, and his secret’s been uncovered, he hides his mouth under his hands.

chenle sighs in relief, “renjun you’ve been out of the water for too long, you could’ve gotten yourself killed.”

jaemin barges in, “chenle you know?”

chenle scoffs, “of course i know, we both are.”

the youngest continues to explain that renjun’s ability to transform doesn’t last long, on nights where there’s no full moon is where it’s weaker. this all derived from his back pain that formed ever since he was still with the pod. the only reason renjun goes to the surface is to find a cure somehow, recently thinking it must be jaemin ever since the night before in his dream. he’s been living in the human world since he was sixteen.

he currently volunteers at the aquarium, and on closing nights he shifts to regain his energy. he was once caught, but his coworkers thought of his tail as a sort of costume, coming up with the idea to hold mermaid shows.

“you have back pain?” jaemin asks him, “it must be the harpoon.”

“but now that you're here, you can help me.” renjun rests his head on his arms, placed at the edge of the tub.

jaemin strokes his hair, “do i...have to cry? ya know for healing tears.”

the oldest laughs into a smile, “no silly, i just need water and our hearts beating.”

“so… when will you be healed?”

“a lot of questions your highness.” renjun teases, “but hopefully soon.”

“imma give you two some space,” chenle stands and walks off, before the two say their thanks.

“renjun, why didn’t you tell me? or….your past self tell me.”

“the harpoon thing?”

“yeah, why did you stay silent, i could’ve helped you ya know.”

renjun shifts, “i just...wanted you to live your dream. even though i wasn’t going to be there.”

the younger holds his hand, “but that doesn’t mean risking your life. i'm thankful that you protected me, but you gotta know that you’re a part of my dream in every life.”

the older cups his hand onto the latter’s cheek. the taller holds his wrist and sighs, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

“now that you’re starting to feel better, do you think we can be together now?” jaemin asks quietly.

renjun beams, “yes, often too. after a few days i should be fine, i can be on land as long as i please.”

jaemin claps his hands, suddenly grabbing hold of renjun’s torso into a hug.

“i’m glad.”

“jaemin! i’m wet remember!”

“that’s what she said.”

“shut up.”

once the two were tucked and snuggled in bed, after a thousand kisses from jaemin, the two had a dream.

a clear night, shining stars above reflecting the ocean below. a mermaid boy swims to a boat on the surface, on it, a prince sails along. the mermaid never heard of meteor showers, only a description from the prince saying that they were fireworks you could wish on.

the prince knew who was there, due to the shift in water. it wasn’t exactly a full moon night, but the young royal didn’t care what the mermaid’s form was, as long as he was with him. he reaches his hand into the dark abyss of water, waving it around to feel another. he feels soft skin clasp with his own, as he helps the mermaid onto the dock.

“so those are called shooting stars, and you can make wishes once you see one.” jaemin explained.

“really? oh!” renjun pointed to a tail zipping by, “umm, i wish to be with jaemin everyday.” he says this while putting his hands together and closing his eyes tightly.

jaemin teased, “you can’t say your wish out loud silly, or it won’t come true.”

“what! you didn’t tell me that…” renjun pouted.

jaemin saw one pass, and folded his hands, thinking of his wish.

_i wish i can be with renjun everyday._

“we can hear each other’s thoughts too ya know.” renjun frowns.

jaemin curses, “crap i forgot about that.”

renjun giggled, “you know, we shouldn’t wait for our wishes to come true, we should make them happen.”

the younger grins at him, “you’re right. the more we spend time with these stars the more we can’t make a true wish, because we already know what will happen.”

“what will happen?” renjun is truly oblivious.

“no matter what life, no matter what or who we are, i’ll always be led to you. you’re my shining star renjun.”

the older is flustered, and hugs him tight.

“is that a wish?” the mermaid whispered, “because i can make it come true.”

jaemin chuckles, “yes injun, it is a wish.”

“well then, your wish is my command.”

♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA tysm for reading 🥺🥺 planning and making this story was a lot of fun  
> if you haven’t yet, please watch the kdrama, legend of the blue sea. It’s one of my favorites and this fic is loosely inspired by that.  
> Have a great day and stream ridin !!!
> 
> twitter: dreamingren  
> cc: curiouscat.me/dreamingren

**Author's Note:**

> don't worry, next chapter is coming soon~
> 
> in the meantime, tell me what you think <3 luv u  
> cc: curiouscat.me/dreamingren  
> twt: dreamingren
> 
> thank you for reading so far, it means a lot :) i worked really hard on this


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